chimerastudio Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 The folks at the Lake Chapala Society suggested I post my question to those of you on this forum. I would be grateful for any comments or opinions you can provide. Like so many others, we are considering retirement in Mexico. Lake Chapala seems a likely place and I am doing my best to research as much as I can. Our somewhat unique situation is that my husband is a quadriplegic using an electric wheelchair and I'm finding it difficult to locate information on how limiting the area would be for him. Certainly we will come down for a while to see first hand but being that air travel is not easy for us, I would like to learn as much as I can ahead. Does anyone have some personal experience with wheelchair access in the area? I would certainly expect that 90% of the area would be inaccessible to him, but we are hoping that there might be a few accessible places we may go together. Again, I would appreciate any thoughts on the matter. Shelly Raleigh NC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WideSky Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 When you say 'go together' and do what? eat, shop, walk? Walmart has ramps and the parking lot is paved. Centro Laguna (mini-mall) is paved, has a several businesses, small food court and coffee shop with inside and outside seating. There is a bicycle path between Walmart and Ajijic - also paved. Sidewalks on the main street of Chapala are fairly level, also the Malecon in Chapala is easy to get to and accessible (they just did a bunch of renovations). We don't eat out much so I couldn't say about restaurant accessibility. Getting to LCS would be a challenge - streets are narrow, cobbled and sidewalks on the side streets are not always in good shape (uneven, broken, narrow, obstructions - trees, roots). You would also have to consider where you were going to stay and being able to find a driver with a vehicle that could transport your husband and his chair both from the airport and around lakeside. Check out Google maps for street views, although they are a little out of date (I believe 2013) but it will give you an idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimerastudio Posted March 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Thank you, WideSky! Your descriptions help quite a bit. I didn't expect so much to be new construction or newly renovated. We have a simple lifestyle here and my husband rarely ventures out. We rarely eat out, too, but it would be nice to find one or two restaurants he could manage. I'll try to find out about find transport when we visit, but we were hoping to bring down our old wheelchair van if and when we do move down. Thanks again for your response Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Berca Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 The above are all excellent suggestions. I would also suggest you focus on Chapala rather than Ajijic, which is most handicap unfriendly with lots of cobblestones, broken sidewalks and high curbs. This is going to be challenging for you though, as Mexico is not a country that does much for handicapped folks in terms of accessibility. A handicapped friend of mine had to stop coming here to visit because he just could not handle the above plus the many, many steps and stairs. Hope you can do it. Best wishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimerastudio Posted March 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Thanks Al, That is exactly the kind of information I'm looking for. It's a lot to consider. My husband was always hard to get out of the house even before his accident and I have always done most of the running around and socializing. He was an artist and was always engrossed in his latest project (still is). It's a complicated set of circumstances with no easy answers. But one of the reasons we would be moving abroad would be to afford some daily or weekly household help of some kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVGRINGO Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 I agree that Chapala would offer more mobility than Ajijic, but there will still be challenges where there are no curb cuts, or where the narrow sidewalk may have a pole making passage in the chair impossible. As such, you would need to find an abode with interior floors suitable for his chair, a garage with an apron to a fairly smooth street close to centro. It can be done, but will take some serious investigation. The household help situation is easily solved and rather economical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayBearII Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 I agree household help is much much more affordable here, which will reduce the burden on you as a caregiver/support person. You can even get delivery on groceries if you want that. I agree Chapala's historic district is handicapped accessible, and the long malecon by the Lake there is quite nice and has restaurants where he can wheel in easily and enjoy a meal with a view of the Lake. Finding a rental place can take some effort, but, for example, the condo next to me is one-level and the main bath and all doors have been made wheelchair accessible. Plus you will find places here with views and gardens, where you can live comfortably and feel like you don't even want to go anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zerbit Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 As mentioned by other posters, you can probably adapt a home to be functionable. Once outside the home, other than the more modern construction, the mall, Walmart and maybe Soriana, you are going to find getting around is going to be a challenge. ADA compliant is not a reality in much of Mexico. I am in the process of building a retail space in GTO and it isn't even a consideration in any of the planning and design, it is not required. That said, GTO isn't a city that is disability friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 As far as restaurants go, I have seen (in more than one city and including Ajijic and Chapala) the wait staff lift a man in a wheelchair up to the main level of most restaurants. Mexico may not be handicapped friendly physically but they sure make up for it with kind and caring people who think nothing of lending a helping hand when required. Perhaps others can add to this restaurant list that would be easy for your husband to negotiate on his own.... Yves (west Ajijic), Arileo's (west Ajijic), the food court at the Laguna Mall (Trips Burgers and Submarine amongst others), Huerto Café in Riberas (between Ajijic and Chapala), Tabarka (west Ajijic), Panino's (San Antonio), Lake Taco (if you enter at the car wash level) ...guess you can tell where I'm presently living. Come on guys...list some others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibbocat Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 I came here as a manual wheelchair user and very rapidly converted to a golf cart, I also understand that this would be impossible for your husband . Help is cheap and good, but access is terrible in Ajijic, narrow sidewalks, up and down with no warning, cobbles etc BUT all that being said I went in my first week to Chapala by bus and several kind men wanted to carry me and my chair across the street, no mean feat! So although there are many limitations there are also a great many more plus points. Please PM me if I can be of more help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimerastudio Posted March 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Thank you all for your responses! Frankly I am a little teary-eyed at the warmth and generosity in your responses. Now I really want to make this move work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cstone Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Remember, too, that you are only about 45 minutes away from Guadalajara and a number of modern malls, one quite upscale, that are accessible. CostCo is accessible, as are the local movies at the Centro Laguna. In addition, there is a section of nerby Tlaquepaque that is all pedestrian and I think he would be able to navigate that and go into restaurants there. If possible, you may want to make a quick trip on your own and scout it out to see if it has suficient access to consider both of you making the trip. People will be happy to help and find answers to your questions. Good luck on your journey ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwhite1948 Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 I have seen waiters carry wheelchair bound patients (in their chairs) up and over stairs into restaurants here on more than one occasion. Los Telares and Robertos come to mind. While Mexico may not be in the forefront of disability laws, the Mexican people are very caring and do not stigmatize the disabled. That said, the OP mentioned bringing her wheelchair van into Mexico....if you and your husband go for Permanente status, you cannot normally keep a foreign vehicle in Mexico. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm30655 Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 1 hour ago, Ferret said: As far as restaurants go, I have seen (in more than one city and including Ajijic and Chapala) the wait staff lift a man in a wheelchair up to the main level of most restaurants. Mexico may not be handicapped friendly physically but they sure make up for it with kind and caring people who think nothing of lending a helping hand when required. Perhaps others can add to this restaurant list that would be easy for your husband to negotiate on his own.... Yves (west Ajijic), Arileo's (west Ajijic), the food court at the Laguna Mall (Trips Burgers and Submarine amongst others), Huerto Café in Riberas (between Ajijic and Chapala), Tabarka (west Ajijic), Panino's (San Antonio), Lake Taco (if you enter at the car wash level) ...guess you can tell where I'm presently living. Come on guys...list some others. The shopping center with El Torito and Salvadors is handicapped friendly. If you park in the parking lot behind, you can go anywhere in a wheel chair. They were building an elevator to the second floor, don't know if it is finished or not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gringal Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 This gets better and better. We went to Chopsticks last week and asked what was going on with the construction. What we heard was that somehow, there would be an elevator (which is good) but that one had to go up or down a flight of steps to get to it. Anyone know differently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimerastudio Posted March 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2016 Thank you all for your insights! I have some leads on a few wheelchair accessible B&Bs and a wheelchair van transport service out of Guadalajara. All the suggestions for restaurants will certainly give us many options. I agree, JayBearII, that given a cozy house with a good view and some gardens, my husband could find little reason to go out. That's the way we live now, but without the view. But it's nice to know there are so many options, with a little planning. Maybe I should start another thread for this question, but could anyone suggest an expatriate assistance service or realtor to meet with when we come for our visit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Habacht Posted March 31, 2016 Report Share Posted March 31, 2016 There is a one level house in Jocotepec that was rented by a wheelchair bound man and his blind wife. The house remains empty at this time but Jocotepec is less wheelchair friendly than the other areas you are considering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcscats Posted March 31, 2016 Report Share Posted March 31, 2016 I worked on the ramps in Ajijic and spent the night thinking about the issue. I would have to say that my beloved Ajijic may not be the right place as the sidewalks are narrow with poles in middle of sidewalk. I would think wider sidewalks and flat would be better in Chapala for a wheelchair. I agree that folks like waiters will just pick one up and bring em in the building to eat no problem. I know you indicated staying inside most of the time was cool but I do think the right place in Chapala would allow more local mobility in day to day activity. It might be nice for person to be able to go to local store if you picked the right house for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maw7815 Posted March 31, 2016 Report Share Posted March 31, 2016 There are many gated communities here that would be my choice if using a wheelchair. They have nice pavers for the roads and new one story homes and beautiful garden areas. maw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVGRINGO Posted March 31, 2016 Report Share Posted March 31, 2016 If I were in a wheelchair, I would want to have access to the central plaza and the malecon in Chapala. Having that access would make life much more interesting and provide for social interaction, shopping, eating out and enjoying the lakeside views and people-watching. I would first search for a house on Niños Heroes in Chapala, a nice qiuiet street close to both the plaza and malecon, as well as the American Legion, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm30655 Posted April 1, 2016 Report Share Posted April 1, 2016 On 3/30/2016 at 5:57 PM, gringal said: This gets better and better. We went to Chopsticks last week and asked what was going on with the construction. What we heard was that somehow, there would be an elevator (which is good) but that one had to go up or down a flight of steps to get to it. Anyone know differently? I was over at Sol & Luna just today. Work is progressing slowly on the elevator. They have moved some stuff but there are wheelchair ramps from the parking lot in place. Once the elevator is in, you should be able to go upstairs no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm30655 Posted April 1, 2016 Report Share Posted April 1, 2016 7 hours ago, RVGRINGO said: If I were in a wheelchair, I would want to have access to the central plaza and the malecon in Chapala. Having that access would make life much more interesting and provide for social interaction, shopping, eating out and enjoying the lakeside views and people-watching. I would first search for a house on Niños Heroes in Chapala, a nice qiuiet street close to both the plaza and malecon, as well as the American Legion, etc. There are at least a couple fully handicapped apartments in Chapala. One is across the street east side of the Chapala police station. I had a friend that lived there for about 6 months. Parked on the street on the police station side so there must be ramps from the sidewalk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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